


Mistletoe Kisses

by Emospritelet



Series: Sprite's Festive Fic Fest [5]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Drinking, F/M, Kissing, Zelena being a creeper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-17
Updated: 2019-12-17
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:05:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21837130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emospritelet/pseuds/Emospritelet
Summary: Ficlet in the Kiss of Life verse. Dr Gold and Belle French have had an eventful year, but on Christmas Eve, it's time to take a break from their busy lives and share a drink and a kiss at Granny's Diner.
Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Series: Sprite's Festive Fic Fest [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1560835
Comments: 20
Kudos: 58





	Mistletoe Kisses

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Kiss of Life](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15581433) by [Emospritelet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emospritelet/pseuds/Emospritelet). 

> @shadowedoracle prompted: 90: “Here I am! Making your Yuletide gay!”
> 
> Anonymous prompted: 40: “I plan on letting you unwrap your gift at home”
> 
> 85: “You’ve never been kissed under the mistletoe?”
> 
> 93: “If I have to listen to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer one more time, I’m gonna hit myself in the head with something.”

Stirling Gold had felt blessed on many an occasion that year. It had started in the best possible way, of course, with Belle French kissing him in the hospital on the stroke of midnight. The year got even better when they went to bed for the first time approximately forty four hours later. She had moved in with him on the first of May, and he had been unsure whether it was possible to be happier. And so here he was, in Granny’s Diner on Christmas Eve, biding his time until he could put that theory to the test.

“Here I am! Making your Yuletide gay!”

Gold grinned as Dorothy slumped onto the stool next to him and leaned in to kiss his cheek. She smelled of the cold air and of the perfume she wore, and she was grinning broadly as she pulled back, shrugging out of her coat.

“You’re in a good mood,” he remarked.

“Of course I am, it’s Christmas,” she said. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”

Gold grunted.

“Is that even possible in this town?” he grumbled. “The place has been wall-to-wall coloured lights and carols since Thanksgiving. If I have to listen to _ Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer _one more time, I’m gonna hit myself in the head with something.”

“Stop pretending to be miserable, I don’t believe you,” she said, bouncing up from her seat as Ruby appeared from the kitchen. “Hey, babe!”

Ruby grinned at her, holding up two plates of steak and fries with an apologetic look, and Dorothy waved a hand at her.

“I can see you’re busy, you can kiss me later!” she called, and Ruby’s grin widened.

Dorothy slumped back into her seat, nudging Gold.

“So how come you’re here, rather than canoodling with your hot young live-in girlfriend?”

Gold sighed.

“We do not _ canoodle_.”

“You do so,” she said dismissively. “You canoodle every time you see each other. I saw you canoodling outside the diner only yesterday.”

“Well, maybe you should mind your own business.”

“Maybe if you weren’t exploring Belle’s tonsils in the middle of the street I wouldn’t have to.”

Gold made an exasperated noise, and she grinned at him.

“Belle’s on her way, right?” she said, as he took a drink.

“Just closing up the library,” he said, putting down his glass. “She had a children’s Christmas party going on, and it looked to be getting a little raucous, so I beat a hasty retreat. Drink?”

“Wouldn’t say no.” Dorothy leaned over the bar as Ruby appeared, kissing her full on the mouth. “Hey, gorgeous.”

“Hey yourself,” said Ruby, kissing her again. “Are you hungry?”

“I’ll wait until you get off,” said Dorothy, sitting back down. “Can I get a vodka tonic? Gold’s buying.”

“Have one for yourself, too,” said Gold. “I’ll take another whisky.”

Ruby beamed at him, and proceeded to make the drinks, pushing Dorothy’s across the bar first. Dorothy took a long slurp, ice cubes clinking in the glass as she set it down with a heavy sigh.

“God, that hits the spot!” she said. “Hell of a day.”

“I took the early shift,” said Gold. “Did something happen? It didn’t seem that busy to me.”

Dorothy pulled a face.

“Zelena being Zelena,” she said. “I swear she thinks she’s somehow senior to me because she’s been there longer.”

Gold grunted.

“I’ve managed to avoid her recently.”

“Yeah, and you have me to thank for that,” she said, poking at her drink with a straw. “Glinda was gonna change the shift rota, but you would have been stuck with her. I thought she probably needed another month or so of separation from you to get the stalker out of her.”

“Don’t tell me she still has her sights on Gold,” said Ruby. “He’s been living with Belle for months!”

“Have you ever known reality to stand in the way of Zelena getting what she thinks she deserves?” said Dorothy wryly. “It’s December. Guess whose ass is decorating the ladies’ locker room at the hospital?”

She winked at Gold, and he groaned, sitting back in his chair.

“I wish I’d never agreed to do those bloody calendars!”

“Come on, it was a great fundraising initiative!” protested Dorothy. “Your butt has bought more equipment than the donors’ dinner and all the bake sales combined!”

“What pose are you in for next year’s calendar?” asked Ruby, with a grin, and Gold sighed.

“I had to show my arse again,” he said. “Ursula and Ella insisted.”

Dorothy cackled.

“I can’t _ wait _to see it.”

“Bet Zelena’s saying the same thing,” remarked Ruby, and eyed the door. “Uh-oh, speak of the wicked witch…”

She pulled a face, and Gold hunched over his whisky, instinctively making himself smaller. A hand sliding over his shoulder made him shudder.

“Dr Gold,” purred an all-too-familiar voice. “Fancy meeting you here. Drinking alone? Not a good sign.”

“He’s not alone,” said Dorothy bluntly. “I’m right here, next to him. And we were kind of having a private conversation, so…”

She made a shooing motion with one hand. Out of the corner of one eye, Gold saw Zelena curl her lip.

“I’ll have one of those green cocktails you make,” she told Ruby, her tone dismissive. “Kiss Under the Mistletoe?”

“Fine,” said Ruby tonelessly, and turned her back to grab the cocktail shaker. 

There was an awkward silence for a moment. Gold prayed that Belle would arrive soon to give him an excuse to leave, and Dorothy patted his arm soothingly, as though she could read his mind.

“This place is a bit of a dive, but they serve decent drinks, I’ll give them that,” said Zelena, to no one in particular. “Certainly better than the food that old woman dishes up. It’s all carbs and fat. Little wonder half the town’s obese.”

Gold could see Ruby’s shoulders stiffen in outrage. 

“The festive specials have been particularly good,” she said, turning to Gold with her usual wide, somewhat manic smile. “Can I interest you in a Kiss Under the Mistletoe, Dr Gold?”

“I think not,” he said levelly, as Dorothy made gagging noises to his right. “It’s a tradition I’ve never followed.”

Zelena put a hand to her heart.

“You’ve never been kissed under the mistletoe?” she said. “Well, let me address that right now!”

“No no, I wasn’t asking for that!” said Gold hastily, trying to scramble from his stool as she leaned in with a sprig of greenery that seemed to have magically appeared between finger and thumb.

“One great big Kiss Under the Mistletoe!” sang Ruby, spinning on her toes.

She stumbled, squeaking with alarm as a bright green drink flew from its glass in a perfect arc and splattered Zelena’s dress from neckline to hem. The shriek that followed made Gold stick one finger in his ear.

“Oops,” said Ruby, sounding not in the least bit sorry.

“You _ idiot_!” raged Zelena, her eyes flashing. “Look at my _ dress_!”

“Don’t know what you’re complaining about,” said Dorothy, with a shrug. “Matches your eyes.”

Growling like a cornered cat, Zelena stomped off, almost running into Belle as she headed for the restrooms. Gold felt a wave of relief wash over him at the sight of the woman he loved. She was staring after Zelena with a puzzled look on her face, dark hair tied up and just starting to come loose, a scarf around her neck and gloves still on her hands. He felt a smile break over his face, and slipped from his stool, grabbing his cane to hurry to her side.

Belle had turned to face him, beaming as he reached her.

“What’s up with Zelena?” she asked. “I mean apart from the usual.”

“Oh, Ruby accidentally threw a drink over her,” he said.

“It was totally on purpose!” shouted Ruby, from behind the bar, and Belle giggled, twining her arms around his neck.

“I’m glad she had a wardrobe emergency, however caused,” she said. “It means I get you all to myself.”

“In the middle of the diner?”

“Are you saying you don’t want to kiss me?” she said, and glanced upward. “Look.”

Gold looked up, smiling as he saw the somewhat bedraggled bunch of mistletoe above them.

“Seems a shame to miss the opportunity,” added Belle. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you all day. And it’s Christmas. I deserve a gift.”

He let his forehead rest against hers, nuzzling her nose with his.

“Do you indeed, Miss French?” he murmured, making her giggle. “Have you been a good girl?”

“_Very _good, Dr Gold,” she said seriously. “And with your permission, I’d like to go home and be very, very bad.”

Gold couldn’t seem to stop grinning, so he bent his head to kiss her, feeling soft lips still cool from the winter air against his. Belle touched his tongue with hers, and he let out a deep groan and pulled her close, the kiss growing hot and messy.

“Get a damn room!” called Dorothy, and Gold broke the kiss with a chuckle, nuzzling Belle’s nose again.

“How was that for a Christmas gift?” he asked, and she pulled a face.

“Not bad,” she said, and pouted a little, her eyes gleaming. “I plan on letting you unwrap your gift at home.”

Gold felt his heart swell with love for her, and his grin widened.

“Merry Christmas to me,” he murmured, and Belle smiled, rising up on her toes to kiss him again.


End file.
